


I Know You

by VeryBennett



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Slow Burn, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-21
Updated: 2018-06-03
Packaged: 2019-04-25 22:59:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14388891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VeryBennett/pseuds/VeryBennett
Summary: When Archie goes missing Ruby goes to Regina about what she saw before she tells anyone else.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own these characters. I am borrowing them as I flex my writing muscles for the first time in years. The time during the Enchanted Forest takes place at some point between Red and Mary fleeing together and Mary telling Red she is Snow White. Please share your thoughts. If I know others want to read this, it will keep me motivated to continue. Thank you for reading!

A knock was heard through the ex-mayor’s home. It was an odd sound to hear for Regina Mills. She hadn’t had a visitor since before the curse broke, and the curse had been broken for a while. She hoped it was Henry, he had a key but maybe he didn’t think he could use it, she quickly washed her hands, she’d been cleaning her kitchen, and headed for the front door.

In her foyer Regina realized it was not Henry at her door. Ruby Lucas stood on her front step. “Miss Lucas. Or is it back to Red, now? To what do I owe this visit? Regina asked as she stood in her doorway with her hands on her hips.

“Please, call me Ruby.” Ruby replied with a nervous smile.

“Okay, Ruby.” Regina paused, she was surprised she’d chosen to keep that name. “What are you doing here?” Regina was confused. Ruby had never made any attempt to see her outside the diner during the curse. They were not friends then. Now that Ruby remembered their entire history there was no reason for Ruby to be there. Something must be wrong. Regina put up her guard.  

Ruby gave Regina a nervous smile. “May I come in? I have something important to tell you.”

“What could be so important?” Regina asked. Her arms were now crossed in front of her.

Ruby took a breath. _Of course, she would make this difficult!_ She thought to herself. She made eye contact with Regina and calmly stated, “Archie is missing.”

_I knew it, something happened. And she thinks I did it._ Regina tensed. “I had nothing to do with that!” Regina insisted. It was true. _I wouldn’t hurt that bug. He means too much to Henry._ Regina said in her mind. _And he has managed to help me._

“I know!” Ruby held up her hands. Regina tried to keep her surprise from showing at her statement. “I know it wasn’t you, Regina. That is why I’m here.” There was a pause. They kept eye contact but neither moved. “Please, I have a lot to tell you.” Ruby tried to show Regina that she was only there to help, she gave her a reassuring look.

Regina could feel a pull towards Ruby that she wanted to ignore but surprisingly, her unstoppable curiosity won. She wanted to understand Ruby. “You may come in.” She said simply as she moved to let Ruby enter her house.

Regina lead Ruby into her living room. “Sit anywhere you like.” She instructed. She chose to sit off center of her three-seat couch. Ruby followed and sat opposite her on the same couch.

As she sat, Ruby felt an odd sense of calm was over her. “Regina, I have a lot to tell you and I am asking that you do not ask questions or respond until I am finished. Can you do that, please?” She wasn’t going to waste any time on small talk, she knew Regina hated small talk. Regina simply gave her a nod of understanding and Ruby gave her a small smile in return. “Thank you.” She paused and took a breath before she began.

“Emma called me into the station at 8:00 this morning. When I got there she and David were talking about Pongo. He was found wandering around early this morning by one of Archie’s neighbors. They’ve been trying to get a hold of him since Pongo was brought in but can’t reach him. The only person who knows anything is the neighbor who found Pongo. She saw Archie last night around 9:30. After Emma and David told me all of this they asked me some questions because they know I go running around there a lot, especially now.”

Ruby paused for a moment to get her thoughts in order. “They asked me if I was out running last night and I told them yes, I was. They asked if I saw Archie with Pongo and I hadn’t. And then they asked if I saw anyone around Main Street while I was out, and I said no. After that we talked about how we’re going to find Archie. Emma is searching his apartment. David is making calls at the station and I am supposed to be out seeing if there is a trail. That is not why I am here.” She wanted to reassure Regina of that. She took another breath.

“I’m here because I lied to Emma and David. I did see someone unusual last night. It was later, past ten. I saw a person who looked just like you, but it wasn’t you. I know it wasn’t you, Regina.” She looked Regina right in the eye again and saw that she was fighting to keep back her questions.

“I couldn’t’ tell them that I saw someone who looked just like you. They would only hear that I saw you and then they would have.” She stopped and waved her hands like she was pushing something away. “I couldn’t let that happen. I know they wouldn’t believe it wasn’t really you.” Her hands came to a rest at her sides.

“So, I lied and said no. And as soon as I could get away I came here to talk to you. I was already planning on coming to see you today. I needed to tell you that I saw someone who was pretending to be you last night. I could have gotten here earlier but they kept talking. Just so much talking for a simple plan and I couldn’t just walk out. But I was already coming over here and now it’s more important that you know what I saw.” She stopped talking then but it seemed Regina would need to be told she could start asking questions. “That’s it. Thank you for listening.”

There was silence between the two as Regina thought quickly over everything. _Who would plan this? Who could go through with it? How did Ruby know it wasn’t me? How am I going to find them? What would they want with Archie? How is Ruby so sure it wasn’t me? Where is this person now? What are they planning? How does she know it wasn’t me?_ That question passed through her mind so many times that she didn’t really hear it when she finally asked it aloud. “How do you know it wasn’t me, Ruby?”

As much as Ruby did not want to answer that question, she knew before coming over that she would need to be prepared to give Regina an honest answer. She turned so she was closer to her. “It was very clear to me that the person I saw wasn’t really you. I don’t know if anyone else would understand it the same way.” _Please don’t make me say more!_  She thought desperately.

Regina leaned closer to Ruby, mirroring her body language, and found Ruby’s eyes again. “Make me understand Ruby.” She was worried it came out sounding too much like a demand, but Ruby didn’t show a reaction if it did.

“I could tell right away by the smell. When I was running I was going down Main Street away from the docks and they were far away coming towards me.” Ruby was closest to Archie’s apartment when she first noticed it. “The wind blew towards me and there was this smell like I’ve never smelled before. It smelled like a woman, but the smell was so acidic, almost like vinegar. But then it was covered up by an awful perfume. Roses and something strong. But then when I got closer I saw you. And you smell different, better. So much better.”

Ruby’s voice came out like a hungry growl at mentioning Regina’s smell. Regina noticed it and her body had an instant reaction. She was beginning to lose the careful control she kept over herself in Ruby’s presence. “So, I knew it wasn’t you by the smell, but then I saw the walk. She was way too up tight and constricted to be you. That’s when it clicked in my head and I knew that the you I saw wasn’t actually you.”

Regina’s head was spinning. She should have been focused on Archie, after all he was currently missing. But all she could think about was Ruby, and Ruby talking about how she smelled and how she walked. And how she knew how Ruby smelled and how she walked. She’d fought her feelings for Ruby for so long that she’d never stopped to think about how Ruby could feel about her. “Ruby.” She said in a soft whisper and her head moved towards Ruby’s. “Ruby, why did you need to tell me this so badly?” That sounded breathy to her, much breathier than she ever meant it to.

Ruby didn’t want to answer this question, she looked away for a moment. Regina took this moment to settle herself back into the couch, she needed distance from her. Ruby watched Regina and took her in. During the curse she loved being able to watch Regina and take her in. She admired and adored everything about the mayor but could never place where her intense and inexplicable crush came from. Then the curse broke, and she remembered who Regina was and everything made sense. She had to know if Regina felt anything for her. She settled herself on the couch similarly to Regina and asked an unexpected question. “Do you remember when we first met, Regina?”  

Regina was surprised that Ruby asked about that day. Of course, she remembered that day. In fact, she remembered it very well.

***

It was an unremarkable day in the Enchanted Forest. Ruby was in the woods looking for berries and checking traps.

That afternoon the “Evil Queen” was looking for Snow White. She’d heard of a tip that seemed reliable enough. More than anything her instinct had told her to follow this lead personally. As she stalked through the woods a flash of a bright red caught her eye and she headed toward it with a wicked grin. When she was closer she spoke. “You there!”

Ruby spun around at being addressed. She’d caught Regina’s scent early and waited as she felt her moving closer. She looked at Regina and was struck by her beauty. “You.” Regina now stood in front of Ruby. “Where is Snow White?”

“I do not know Snow White, nor do I wish to.” Ruby told her simply.

“How is it that you could not know of the Princess Snow White?” Regina did not know how anyone could not know of the wanted princess.

Ruby looked at her, this elegant woman she did not know, and met her eye. “I keep to myself and out of business of the royal family.”

“A smart girl. And brave to hold my eye. What are you doing here?” Regina was struck by the feeling that wrapped her entire body when she met the girls eye. It was warm and comfortable, and burning and deep.

Ruby felt a similar pull to the woman in front of her. She wanted to know more about her and she was not afraid to ask. “Who are you?”

Regina was not used to having to explain herself. As a queen she was never questioned. In this instance she felt like she needed to give an answer. “I am looking for Snow White. Who I am does not matter now.” Ruby did not question her further, nor did she say anything. In this pause Regina took her in, she was clearly a peasant girl who lived near here.

_I will remember this place._ Regina thought to herself. She couldn’t explain why she wanted to see her again or why she wanted to know everything about her. “What is your name?” She asked.

Ruby thought for a moment about not sharing her name. Then told the woman. “Red.”

Regina shook her head when she heard the name. “You are far too striking to simply be Red. No, you are a Ruby.”

Ruby couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face at the name. _You can call me anything you want._ She thought. “And what about you, what are you called?” She had to know.

Regina looked at her then and grinned before sharing her name. “Regina.” A few seconds passed before Ruby realized who she was. _How could she be as evil as they say she is?_ Ruby thought to herself. She had so many questions in this moment. Regina saw the look of empathy and longing on Ruby’s face and it was too much, she had to leave. She smiled at the girl before kissing her cheek. “I hope I see you again, Ruby.” Then she straightened her body and disappeared in a poof of purple smoke.

***

“Yes, I remember that day.” Regina told her. She somehow managed to keep her voice from shaking. She was instantly infatuated with Ruby. That day Ruby looked at her, really looked at her. She was confident and sure. Regina wanted to know everything about the woman in the red cape and why she was in the woods.

Her favorite memory of their meeting was that when Ruby realized who Regina was she did not look scared. She simply looked at her and studied her face until Regina left her. She had been overwhelmed by Ruby looking at her so intently. She remembered feeling as if her soul were being stared at and she knew it was an ugly image, she wanted to keep that from Ruby.

Sitting next to Regina on the couch Ruby decided that she would be completely honest with Regina about her feelings for her. Even if it didn’t mean anything to Regina beyond flattery, she would tell her. “It’s all I’ve thought about since the curse broke. I was so instantly drawn to you. What I felt for you in that moment overpowered anything I’ve felt for anyone, even now. It was deep, and it was permanent.”

Regina felt elated at what Ruby had just confessed. She was so overcome with happiness that she couldn’t speak. Almost one minute passed before Ruby spoke again. “Last night when I first saw you on main street I got so excited. I thought I was meant to see you while I was out running thinking about you.” She smiled sheepishly at her confession and continued.

“But when I got home last night and thought about everything and what it meant. I wanted to talk to you about, all of this.” She gestured between the two of them, close together on the couch. “This isn’t just me?” The look that she had on her face pulled at Regina’s heart. “Is it?” She added painfully.

At the sound of hurt in Ruby’s voice Regina needed to comfort her. She shifted even closer to Ruby and brought her hand to cup her cheek. She was inches from Ruby’s face, looking directly into her eyes when she told her, honestly. “No, Ruby, no, it’s never been just you.”


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who left kudos on my first chapter! I really appreciate it!  
> A special thank you to those who took the time to leave a comment! It touched my heart to read your kind words :D 
> 
> I was laid off from my job last week and this story has been the perfect distraction. For a few days it's been the only thing I can focus on. I plan to continue and my aim is to have the next chapter ready by next week Tuesday. I hope you enjoy!

Ruby’s face broke into the biggest smile Regina had ever seen. She knew then and there that she would do anything for Ruby to keep that smile on her face. They sat looking into each other’s eyes for a while before Regina spoke again. “But right now, we can’t focus on this.” She rested her forehead against Ruby's. “Someone is walking around looking like me, and I think I know who she was.”

“You’re right. You’re always right.” Ruby responded. She looked down at Regina's mouth.  _I can't wait to kiss her._ She thought before she had an idea. She leaned in and placed a light kiss on Regina's cheek, like the kiss Regina had given her the day they'd met. She settled back into her seat to give herself some distance. “Who do you think it is? How can I help you, Regina?” She asked. 

Regina felt a rush deep in the pit of her stomach at the feeling of Ruby’s kiss. Her heart felt a flutter at the willingness to help her behind the question.  _I want to kiss her. No_! She had to stop that train of thought, that couldn’t happen right now. She stood and paced a few steps in front of the couch before turning to Ruby. “Would you recognize that smell again?” 

Ruby looked scandalized at Regina’s question. “Did you recognize it?” Regina amended quickly. Ruby noticed the smirk cross her face. 

“No, I didn’t recognize it, and trust me, I would remember something that bad. Who do you think it is?” At Ruby's question, Regina looked towards the fireplace. Ruby noticed the strange look on her face. As if she’d remembered something she’d long forgotten. “Regina?”

Ruby stood and moved next to Regina and lightly touched her arm. At the warm contact Regina came back to herself, she was suddenly less anxious. “I can't be sure until I show you something. Will you go somewhere with me, Ruby?” 

Ruby didn't hesitate to accept. “Where are we going?” She asked. 

Regina hesitated a bit before she answered. "My hidden vault. I kept it from before. I'll know if I'm right after you see what I have." Ruby didn't show any signs of changing her mind at the vague plan. 

“How do you want to get there? I can drive." She offered. 

“I know of a faster way." Regina said with a glint in her eye. She had promised Henry she wouldn't use magic, but this was an exceptional situation.

When Ruby realized the method of travel Regina was referring to she smiled and laughed as she nodded her head. “I’m going to wrap my arms around you. Do not let go of me.” Regina instructed as she moved closer to Ruby. Ruby settled nicely into her open arms. They both let out a sign of contentment at the close contact. 

“I am really excited to travel by poof." Ruby whispered into Regina's ear. She felt Regina shiver as her breath met her skin.

“You might be a little dizzy on your first landing.” Regina warned Ruby as a way to calm herself before they disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke. 

***

Ruby was a bit unstable when she made contact with the stone floor of Regina's vault. Regina kept her arms tight around Ruby until she knew she would be well enough to stand on her own. "Did that meet your expectations?" Regina asked in a silky voice before she slid away from Ruby. 

Ruby was surprised when she giggled in response and breathed an excited "Absolutely." She could feel the wolf reacting to the new surroundings and could smell the Enchanted Forest in the air. 

Regina was glad her magic had made Ruby happy. "Make yourself comfortable, I'll be right back." She instructed before she left to retrieve what they'd come for. She returned a minute later to find Ruby sitting on a small red velvet couch. She held a small black box in her hands.

 Ruby watched Regina open the box. Inside she saw something deep blue. “What is that, Regina? Who does it belong to?” She asked.

Regina didn't answer her question right away. She removed the item from the box and unfolded it before handing it to Ruby. "This belonged to my mother." 

Ruby had no response, she thought Snow had told her that Regina's mother was dead. She took the scarf into her hands. After one breath, she knew Regina was correct. “This is who I smelled last night Regina.” 

Regina sat back against the couch, the box sat in her lap and her hands covered her face. She knew it was her mother the moment Ruby described her smell. Her mother drank apple cider vinegar every day and wore too much perfume, she'd always hated the harsh smell when the two mixed.

 Ruby knew Regina was upset and acted on instinct. She wrapped an arm around Regina's shoulders and gently pulled her towards her. She smiled as Regina's body settled against hers.

They sat together for a few seconds before Regina spoke. “She is dangerous, Ruby. I have to stop her.”

Ruby had never heard her speak with that voice. She sounded scared. “I will help you Regina.” She felt Regina tense up and begin to pull away from her. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

Regina pulled away from Ruby's hold and stood. She didn't know how to handle all of the emotions that she was fighting.  _My mother is dead. I said goodbye to her. I saw her body._ Her mind was frantic as she kept thinking of the events leading up to her mother's death. 

She had sent Captain Hook to Wonderland through a portal hat. His instructions were simple, remove her mother's heart with his enchanted hook and return with her body. She'd thought he'd done his job. She now realized that she had been tricked by them, and she was furious. Under her anger, she was terrified.

Ruby watched Regina while she stood and thought through everything. She felt honored to get to see Regina like this and be there to support her. They sat in silence in the vault until Regina looked at Ruby and tried to keep the shame from her voice as she spoke. “I don’t want her to not be dead. She can’t be here, Ruby.”

Ruby heard the despair in Regina's voice and pushed herself off the couch. In an instant she was in front of Regina and wrapped her in a reassuring embrace. Regina was initially surprised by the contact but found herself easing into it. Her arms naturally wrapped around Ruby. 

Standing together with their arms wrapped around the other, each felt comfortable. Ruby felt like everything she'd dreamed since they'd met had come true now that she held Regina, and she was ready to do anything to help her. 

Regina was amazed that she was able to feel so at ease with Ruby and relaxed into her. The top of her head rested perfectly against the curve of Ruby's neck, she nuzzled her warm skin. She took a deep breath as she settled into Ruby's arms. 

It wasn't long after the start of their embrace that their hands began to roam around the others back. The air around them felt charged the longer they stood together, Regina could feel it and she wanted more. She removed her head from its place on Ruby's neck and looked up at her.

Ruby looked down at Regina and their eyes met again. Regina watched as specks of gold flashed in Ruby's beautiful green eyes. She'd seen the gold eyes of the wolf once before.  _Why is their gold in her eyes now?_ Regina thought to herself. She acknowledged the absurdity of her question as well. 

_Your mother is alive in your town and yet you can't stay away from her._  Regina chided herself as her eyes dropped to Ruby's lips.  _I want to kiss her!_ She'd stopped herself against the mounting pull between them when they were at her house, she wasn't entirely sure if she'd be able to stop herself now. 

Ruby looked into Regina's eyes and could feel the wolf stirring again. Being in the vault was making the wolf stronger within Ruby. She remembered this feeling from before the curse. The wolf would always rise something that it really wanted was in sight. Usually these wants had to do with very basic, very primal instincts. Right now, the wolf wanted to mark Regina as her mate. 

Ruby was having trouble focusing on what to do. She really wanted to kiss Regina and was struggling to push down the wolf.  But, they had agreed to hold off on  _this_  until after they dealt with her mother. Ruby knew they had to stop and settled for burying her face in Regina's neck and taking a deep breath of her scent. The wolf seemed satisfied, for now, by this and she was able to pull away without pressing her lips to the inviting skin in front of her. 

"We should go and talk to Emma and David, now." She said as she moved a full arms width from Regina and took a deep breath. 

Regina was grateful Ruby pulled away when she did. She took a deep breath as well before running both hands down her front. "Yes. We need to tell the idiots right now. I have to protect Henry." She smiled as she saw Ruby shake her head in amusement. 

“Do you really have to call them that?” Ruby asked. 

Regina looked at her before she answered. “Only until I am proven wrong." She held out her arms. "Come here." She said and waited for Ruby to settle in her arms, she felt the charge between them the moment their bodies touched.  _What is this between us?_  She thought. She'd always felt drawn to Ruby but she had assumed that was her attraction, this feeling was the same but had grown stronger over the last few hours they'd been together. Her thoughts were cut short when she heard Ruby speak. 

“I like it here” Ruby told her as she settled into Regina's arms and clung to her as they poof-ed back to the manor. 


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who left Kudos on the last chapter!  
> I know I promised an update a while ago but life has beaten me up lately. I'm happy to say I'm getting back in the swing of things and this story is at the top of my list as I move forward.   
> Thank you for your encouragement, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

They landed in front of the couch in Regina's living room. Ruby was pleased to find she did not feel as disoriented as the first time Regina had poofed them away. 

Both of them knew they should separate but they stayed in their embrace. Regina's mind screamed at her to pull away but she felt so calm and safe in Ruby's arms that she held on. Ruby was having the same struggle as Regina and found she was unable to pull away as well. 

They stood there, holding on, until Ruby's cell phone sounded with several notifications. Reluctantly, she pulled away from Regina's embrace and removed her phone from her back pocket. She'd missed three phone calls from Emma, one from David, one from snow, and had several text messages. 

"That's weird. My phone didn't go off and they've been trying to call me." Ruby had a confused look on her face, Regina thought it was adorable.

"It's the vault." Regina offered as an explanation. "It was preserved during the curse." 

"And since it's from another realm, no upgrade to cell service, right?" Ruby asked with a smile. Regina let out a small laugh and nodded. 

"You should call them. I need to know anything my mother may be doing as me." 

Ruby nodded and called Emma back. As the phone rang she heard a car door slam from the driveway. She moved to the foyer to look through the window and she saw Emma standing beside her yellow bug. She was taking her phone out of her pocket and then she heard her voice. 

"Red! Where have you been? We've all been trying to reach you. Listen, somebody saw Regina last night, out by the docks. I'm at her house now to ask her what that was about and see what she knows." Emma was looking out towards the street. "Hang on. That, is that your car? Why are you at Regina's?" Ruby recognized her voice as the one she used when she was trying not to sound too harsh and turned away from the window. 

"Come inside and I'll explain everything." Ruby said simply and ended the call.  She turned and saw Regina had followed her and now stood perched against the stair rail. "Emma is outside, right now. Someone saw you by the docks last night." She tried to look calm but Regina could see the fear in her eyes and she heard the slight shake in her voice. 

"We'll be alright." Regina told her and touched her arm. Ruby seemed to relax a little. "We'll tell her we were upstairs getting the scarf and your phone was in your purse down here. We won't tell her about this...us." She looked into Ruby's eyes. She really liked the way us sounded.

"She'll know if we're lying, Regina." Ruby told her in a shy, concerned voice. They heard Emma knock on the door. 

"We will be fine." Regina told her and then moved to answer the door. She paused and took a breath before she opened the door. "Ms. Swan. I know why you are here." Emma looked surprised, she opened her mouth to respond, but Regina continued. "Please, come inside." 

Emma cautiously walked into the house, she had several questions about what was happening. She was comforted when she saw Ruby but she wanted answers. She stopped a few steps into the house and with one hand on her hip the other flew into the air and she asked. "What the hell is going on, Red?"

Regina turned from closing the door and tried to hide the questioning look on her face at hearing Emma call Ruby, Red. "We have a lot to discuss." Regina announced flatly and lead the two women into her dining room. Regina sat in her usual place at the head of the table, Ruby moved behind her to take the seat to her right, and Emma took the seat across from Ruby. 

As soon as they were seated, Ruby began telling Emma why she was with Regina. She told Emma everything that she needed to know to believe that it was Regina's mother that was out last night, not Regina. When she was done telling Emma the important details, she looked at her and waited for a reaction. 

Emma studied Ruby before she spoke. She believed her, her lie detector super power told her she could. "I have to ask this." She moved her gaze to focus on Regina. "Are you doing something to make Red believe it wasn't you?" She immediately regretted the question by the look that crossed Regina's face. 

"How dare you Ms. Swan." Her tone was scathing. "I wouldn't do anything to hurt Ruby." Emma's eyebrows shot up at this declaration. "Her wolf is ancient magic. I would be a fool to try anything against it." This was the truth, and it seemed to be enough that Emma was no longer looking at her questioningly. 

"I had to ask." Emma held up her hands. She believed Regina and now they needed to know how they would find her mother. "So, we need a plan to beat your mother. What is her name anyway?"

Regina's back stiffened at the mention of her mother. "Cora." 

"We'll come up with a plan to find her and we'll get Archie back." Emma stood from her seat at the table. "I'm going to tell David about all of this so we can get our next step figured out." Ruby and Regina stood as well and followed her to the door. "Red, you stay here with Regina. Regina, if you're out in public you're either with Red or we'll have to assume it's Cora." This was their only option seeing that Ruby was the only one capable of telling the two apart. 

Before Emma left, Ruby moved forward with the scarf. "Take Pongo for a walk around the docks and have him smell this." She gave Emma the scarf. "If she was seen there, he might pick up on something." She offered as an explanation when Emma didn't say anything. 

"Right, thanks Red. I'll call you when we know something. Just sit tight until I talk to David." Regina looked like she was about to protest. "I don't want to cause a panic and have people coming after you again without knowing the whole story." 

Regina chose not to respond to this explanation and nodded her understanding. She would come up with a plan while she was forced to wait.  _At least Ruby will be here._  She thought and a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. 

Emma paused on the porch and turned to Regina. "Would you like it if I brought Henry over tonight? You should be there when he finds out about all of this." She was extending an olive branch. Judging by the way Regina's jaw dropped, Emma knew she'd made the right call. 

"I'll make dinner. 7:00?" Regina asked. 

"We'll be here. I'll call you when we have something." Emma nodded and walked to her car. 

Ruby watched Regina's face light up when Emma offered to bring Henry to see her. She smiled to herself, happy that Emma had done that for Regina. As Emma walked off she saw Regina look at her with a bemused expression on her face. After she heard the car leave the driveway she spoke softly. "Regina."

Regina startled slightly at hearing her name and moved back inside, closing and locking the door behind her, she looked at Ruby and smiled. Ruby smiled back at her and shook her head lightly. "I don't know what I was expecting to happen, but that was better." 

Regina let out a genuine laugh at that. "Yes, it was better." They were standing near each other. Regina reached out to gently caress Ruby's arm. "What would you like for dinner?" It was her way of asking Ruby to stay for dinner without having to ask her. 

_She just asked me to stay for dinner!_  Ruby was ecstatic and the beaming smile she gave Regina proved that. Their eyes met and she unconsciously licked her lips. Regina's gaze dropped and Ruby heard her slight intake of breath.

All thoughts of what to have for dinner flew out of Ruby's mind at Regina's intake of breath as she looked at Ruby's lips. Ruby could feel the wolf again, now that they were this close. She wanted Regina like it was a natural instinct to have her close by. She felt her arms slide around Regina's slim waist. 

Regina was having trouble controlling herself again, she didn't understand the need she felt to be close to Ruby. As Ruby pulled her closer, she went willingly. 

This was more than the usual attraction Regina was used to feeling towards Ruby. This was a pull from deep within that she didn't want to deny any longer. "Ruby." She said in a breathy voice. 

That breathy voice was the end for Ruby's hold on the wolf. Without a second thought she moved forward and kissed Regina. 

***

Across town, Emma, David, and Snow were walking Pongo by the docks. "Did you feel that?" Snow asked as a warm wind blew past them.  

"That felt like magic." David replied. 

Pongo started barking and Emma looked up to see what he was reacting to. "Was that there a minute ago?" She pointed at a large ship with the name 'Jolly Roger.' 

"No, it definitely was not." David answered. Snow grabbed his head and pulled him back from walking towards the ship. "What are you doing, Snow?"

"We shouldn't go near that ship until we talk to Regina." She sounded scared. 

"Do you think this is where Cora is hiding?" Emma asked her. 

"If it is, we don't want her to know we can see it." Emma and David nodded in agreement and they quickly left with the hope that they had not been seen. 


End file.
